Nutritionally complete pet food and method of feeding and manufacturing same

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a nutritionally complete and preferably balanced, shelf stable pet food product, a method of feeding the pet food product to an animal and a process of manufacturing that pet food product. The method of feeding an animal includes the step of feeding a preferred pet food product to the animal, wherein the pet food product is a nutritionally complete meal and is configured such that the animal can hold the product with its appendages while eating the product.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.10/244,259 filed on Sep. 16, 2002 which is incorporated in its entiretyherein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is directed to a pet food product and moreparticularly to a nutritionally complete and preferably balanced, shelfstable pet food product, a method of feeding the pet food product to ananimal and a process of manufacturing that pet food product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It has long been known that dry, crunchy pet foods have desirable teethcleaning and storage characteristics, such as the dry kibble pet foodproducts that are commonly known. It has long been known that soft,meaty pet foods are very palatable to companion animals and these typesof food have many advantages to pet owners. There are numerous kinds ofboth of these pet foods available as complete meals and as treats andsnacks.

One example of a semi-moist pet food described as a complete meal isPurina's Butcher's Burger—chopped Burger. Examples of two componenttreats and snacks include Pet Pride DogGone Deli Bone Style CrunchyTreats and Sausage Style Snacks, Purina Dogwiches Dog Treat, Milk-BoneDog Treats with Bone Marrow, and Pedigree Jumbone®. One component treatsinclude Pet Pride Dental Chew Bone and Pedigree Dentabone®.

Blends of pet foods having a hard outer component and a soft texturedinner component have been extensively produced and have achieved notablesuccess. Examples of such pet foods are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.3,916,029, 4,777,058 and 6,117,477. Other pet foods having asoft-textured outer component and a hard inner component are describedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,900,572 and 4,260,635. U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,665describes a simulated bone for use as a treat for pets. U.S. Pat. No.4,900,572 discloses a dual textured pet food generally in the shape of amarrow bone and the method for manufacturing the dual-textured pet food.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,927 describes a pet food kibble having an expandedstriated structural matrix that fractures when chewed by a pet. U.S.patent application publications U.S. Pub. Nos. 2002/0090444 A1;2002/0150650 A1 and 2003/0021872 A1 describe a pet food kibble that isless brittle and has a density of less than 20.5 lbs/ft³.

The present invention provides a novel pet food product in which a smallnumber of pieces of the product provide a nutritionally complete andpreferably balanced meal for an animal. The present invention alsoprovides a new method of feeding a complete and balanced meal to ananimal. The present invention is further of a cohesive nature thatresults in a pet food that is not messy to feed and further provideseating enjoyment to an animal.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a pet food product comprising Npieces wherein N pieces provide the complete daily nutritionalrequirements of an animal, and N equals 1 to 15 pieces. N pieces alsoprovide the complete and balanced daily nutritional requirements of ananimal. Each of the N pieces has a toughness in the range of 0.5 to 5.5W, a brittleness in the range of 430 to 1160 mm; a hardness in the rangeof 70 to 520 N, an outer component hardness in the range of 50 to 300 Nand an inner component hardness of 50 to 2760 of N, and a density in therange of 0.6 to 1.7 g/cm³.

N can be 1, 2 or 3 pieces and an N piece(s) has a consumption time oftwo to sixty minutes.

Each of the N pieces of the inventive pet food product has about 2.80kcalories per gram and a caloric density per unit volume of about 1.8 to11.1 kcal/cm³, and preferably about 3.70 kcal/cm³. Each of the N pieceshas a caloric content of about 20 to 2500 kcal per piece.

Each piece of the inventive pet food product can be comprised of twocomponents, an outer component and an inner component, wherein the innerand outer component have a different quality selected from the groupconsisting of hardness, brittleness, toughness, density, caloricdensity, calories per gram and color. The ratio of the two components(inner/outer ratio) can be about 0:100 to 100:0, with a preferred rangeof 90:10 to 10:90, with a more preferred range of 80:20 to 20:80, and amost preferred range of 70:30 to 30:70. The outer component can have ahigher value of at least one value selected from the group consisting ofhardness, brittleness, toughness, and density. Further, the color of theouter component can be different than the color of the inner component.The inner component can have a higher value of at least one valueselected from the group consisting of hardness, brittleness, toughness,and density. Alternatively, the pet food product can be a singlecomponent.

The inventive pet food product has a protein content greater than 18 wt%, a preferred range of 18 to 65 wt %, a more preferred range of 18 to35 wt %, and a most preferred range of 18 to 25 wt %. The carbohydratecontent is in the range of 30 to 70 wt %, preferably 35 to 50 wt % andmost preferable 40 to 45 wt %. The fat content is greater than 3 wt %,in a preferred range of 3 to 20.0 wt %, a more preferred range of 3 to10.0 wt % and a most preferred range of 3.0 to 8.0 wt %. The fibercontent is in the range of 0 to 10 wt %, a preferred range of 0.5 to 9wt %, a more preferred range of 1.0 to 8 wt %, and a most preferredrange of 3.0 to 8.0 wt %. The pet food product has a percent moisture of9 to 32%, a preferred range of 12 to 28%, a more preferred range of 14to 24%, and a most preferred range of 16 to 22%. The water activity (Aw)is less than 0.9, in preferred range of 0.5 to 0.90, a more preferredrange of 0.6 to 0.85, and a most preferred range of 0.65 to 0.80. Eachpiece of the inventive pet food product is cohesive.

The inventive pet food product can have a longitudinal shape and a crosssectional shape in the form of a modified triangle. The pet food canhave a length greater than 0.75 cm. and a cross sectional area in therange of 3.0 to 18.0 cm². Alternatively, the pet food product can have alength in the range of 2.5 to 17.5 cm, a width in the range of 2.5 to17.5 cm, and a depth in the range of 0.42 to 5.0 cm. The pet foodproduct has a weight in the range of 15 to 400 grams.

The present invention is directed to a method of feeding an animalcomprising the step of feeding a preferred pet food product to theanimal, wherein the pet food product is a nutritionally complete mealand is configured such that the animal can hold the product with itsappendages while eating the product. The pet food product is preferredby 60% of dogs over a standard dry kibble pet food and the pet foodproduct comprises a nutritionally complete meal having a ‘well-being’score of at least 3.2.

The present invention is further directed to a method of feeding ananimal comprising the step of feeding a preferred pet food product tothe animal wherein the pet food product comprises N pieces wherein Npieces provide the complete daily nutritional requirements of an animal,and N equals 1 to 15 pieces.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technicaladvantages of the present invention in order that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood.Additional features and advantages of the invention will be describedhereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. Itshould be appreciated that the conception and specific embodimentdisclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designingother structures for carrying out the same purposes of the presentinvention. It should also be realized that such equivalent constructionsdo not depart from the invention as set forth in the appended claims.The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of theinvention, both as to its organization and method of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages will be better understood from thefollowing description when considered in connection with theaccompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, thateach of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration anddescription only and is not intended as a definition of the limits ofthe present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference isnow made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating the average daily caloric requirements ofa dog vs the dog's weight;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a skull of a dog;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of yet another preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a method of manufacturing the presentinvention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective illustration of a sample used in a compressiontest;

FIG. 10 is a perspective illustration of a sample used in a triple pointbend test;

FIG. 11 is an illustration of a bend texture analysis graph; and

FIG. 12 is an illustration of a puncture texture analysis graph.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used herein, the use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunctionwith the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification maymean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,”“at least one,” and “one or more than one.”

Water activity is a measurement of the energy status of the water in asystem; represented by a quotient between water's partial pressure inthe food and pure water's partial pressure. It indicates how tightlywater is bound, structurally or chemically, within a substance. This ismeasured by equilibrating the liquid phase (in the sample) with thevapor phase (in the headspace) and measuring the relative humidity ofthat space. Moisture is a quantitative analysis to determine the totalamount of water present in a sample.

The present invention is directed to a nutritionally complete andpreferably balanced pet food product.

A complete food is a nutritionally adequate feed for animals other thanman, that can be fed as a sole ration and is capable of sustaining lifewithout additional food (aside from water).

Balanced food is a complete feed also having all known nutrients in theproper amount and proportion

As used herein, animal is defined as a non-human animal, preferably acompanion animal, and most preferably, dogs, cats and horses.

The present invention provides a new method of feeding a complete andbalanced meal to an animal, which also provides for increasedinteraction between the animal and the product, resulting in a more finand enjoyable feeding experience for the animal. This improved feedingexperience is demonstrated in product design tests that showed increasedscores over dry kibble for well-being, occupation and/or satisfaction,convenience and/or mess and texture preferences. The improved feedingexperience and increased well being of the animal are a result of theinventive product's design features, such as size, lasting time andnutritional content. The inventive pet food product's composition andtextural properties are specifically formulated to provide a pet foodthat has a specific caloric content that meets the nutritionalrequirements for an animal within the product's recommended servingsize, that will provide a satisfying and satiating meal for the animaland will provide a serving size that the animal can consume in areasonable amount of time within a day.

The inventive product of the present invention provides a novel methodof feeding an animal wherein the animal receives it's entire requiredcaloric and nutrient intake in one to fifteen pieces, less than tenpieces, preferably, one, two or three pieces and most preferably onepiece.

The method of feeding the inventive pet food product is different fromfeeding an animal wet or dry pet food products in that the inventive petfood is generally not fed in a bowl. Because of the way in which theinventive product is fed, it changes the way in which the animal eatsthe food, generally making it a better experience for both the owner andthe animal. This is because the shape of the inventive product forcesthe dog to chew the product in order to consume it and because of thischewing process, dogs will consume all or most of the inventive productin one sitting, which adds to the benefit of eating enjoyment for thedog. The length of the inventive product is also a benefit to a dog'seating enjoyment as it allows the dog to be able to hold the inventivefood product with its paws or appendages while eating it. This overallchange in product design and the method of feeding the animal has shownunexpectedly high consumer scores for a nutritionally complete pet foodproduct.

An object of this invention is a complete meal which also improves thewell-being of the animal by improving the overall eating experience forboth the owner and the animal. The inventive product provides increasedinteraction between the animal and the product making the experiencemore fun and enjoyable for the animal. Preferably the product providesfor a longer eating time and more satisfying chewing experience for theanimal. The most preferred product is also less messy and moreconvenient to feed.

The attributes described above are measured using the following twophase product design test.

Two Phase Product Design Test

At least 1000 respondents are selected from group consisting of dogowners, over the age of eighteen and in a ratio of eighty percent femaleand twenty percent male.

The first phase is exposing respondents to and evaluation of a writtenconcept described as a total approach to the health of a dog thatincluded a unique bone shape that provided dental care and calcium, thebalanced nutrition of a whole meal, and a bone-shaped product that a dogcan hold with its paws and enjoy the chewing satisfaction that is linkedto a dog's level of contentment.

Respondents are exposed to the product concept and subsequently takenthrough an evaluative questionnaire. The questionnaire asked questionsrelating to how the respondent feels about his/her dog; the size andbreed of the dog and number of dogs in the household; where dog food waspurchased; based on the proposed product, would the respondent purchasethe new product; what the respondent liked or disliked about theproduct; was the product new and different from other products currentlyavailable; how much of the product the respondent would expect his/herdog to eat; would the product be appropriate for a meal; where would theproduct be fed to the dog; what kinds of pet food or treats werecurrently being given to respondent's dog; the age of the respondent;and the gender of the respondent.

Respondents expressing positive or neutral concept purchase interest areselected for the next phase of the product design testing. Purchaseinterest in the concept is determined in the following way: respondentsare asked to respond to the following question; “How interested wouldyou be to purchase the Product?” Participants respond on the followingfive point scale: 5—Definitely Would Buy; 4—Probably Would Buy; 3—May orMay Not Buy; 2—Probably Would Not Buy; and 1—Definitely Would Not Buy.Those respondents that respond with a score of 5, 4 or 3 are selected asbeing positive or neutral to the concept.

Only respondents who respond favorably or neutral to the written conceptmove on to the next phase of the test which involves actual productusage. After approximately one week of in-home usage, these participantsare contacted again to complete an after use questionnaire on theirexperience with the product.

The questionnaire asks them to respond to a series of statements relatedto seven specific attributes of the product: uniqueness, mess,well-being, occupation, convenience, satisfaction and texture. Therespondents answer using the 5 point scale below indicating how theyagree with the statement. The average of the respondents' scores aretaken as the attribute score for the test product. A sample of some ofthe attributes, questions, scoring scale and how the attribute scoresare determined is illustrated below.

Question - How much do you agree with the Attribute Attribute followingstatements? Scoring Scale Score Uniqueness 1) Is a revolutionary way toserve your dog (Strongly disagree) 0 Avg. of meals. to responses to 5(Strongly agree) question 1) Mess 2) Is not messy. (Strongly disagree) 0Avg. of to responses to 5 (Strongly agree) question 2) Well-being 3)Provides a fun and enjoyable experience (Strongly disagree) 0 Avg. offor your dog. to responses to 5 (Strongly agree) question 3 and 4) Is afood that will improve your dog's (Strongly disagree) 0 4) well-being.to 5 (Strongly agree) Occupation 5) Keeps your dog occupied for a longer(Strongly disagree) 0 Avg. of time. to responses to 5 (Strongly agree)question 5) Convenience 6) Is appropriate for everyday use (Stronglydisagree) 0 Avg. of to responses to 5 (Strongly agree) question 6) and7) Makes feeding the right amount easy (Strongly disagree) 0 7) to 5(Strongly agree) Chewing 8) Satisfies your dog's need for chewing.(Strongly disagree) 0 Avg. of Satisfaction to responses to 5 (Stronglyagree) question 8) Texture 9) Has a texture your dog would like.(Strongly disagree) 0 Avg. of to responses to 5 (Strongly agree)question 9)

The product of this invention has an average Well-being score of atleast 3, preferably at least 3.2, more preferably at least 3.4, morepreferably at least 3.6, more preferably at least 3.8, more preferablyat least 4.0, more preferably at least 4.2 and most preferably at least4.4. A more preferred embodiment of the invention also has a score atleast 3, preferably at least 3.2, more preferably at least 3.4, morepreferably at least 3.6, more preferably at least 3.8, more preferablyat least 4.0, more preferably at least 4.2 and most preferably at least4.4 for Occupation and/or Chewing Satisfaction. An more preferredembodiment additionally has a Convenience and/or Mess score at least 3,preferably at least 3.2, more preferably at least 3.4, more preferablyat least 3.6, more preferably at least 3.8, more preferably at least4.0, more preferably at least 4.2 and most preferably at least 4.4. Themost preferred embodiment of the invention also has a Texture score ofat least 3, preferably at least 3.2, more preferably at least 3.4, morepreferably at least 3.6, more preferably at least 3.8, more preferablyat least 4.0, more preferably at least 4.2 and most preferably at least4.4.

Two Phase Preference Test

In the first phase of the preference test, ten male and female Beagleswere individually presented two diets simultaneously in two separatebowls for five consecutive days. One bowl, containing approximately 350grams of Pedigree® Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites Original BeefFlavor (the “Control” food designated “Kibble”), and a second bowl,containing 3 three pieces of the inventive pet food product (the “Test”food designated “Inventive Product”), were presented for 30 minutes eachday. Each piece of the Inventive Product had a weight of approximately130 grams and a water activity (A_(w)) of 0.9 or less. The Kibbleincluded approximately 21% protein, with the protein from ingredientssuch as meat and bone meal, chicken by-product, and corn; approximately9% fat, from ingredients such as beef tallow, vegetable oil, and the fatfrom the meat and bone meals; approximately 4% fiber, from ingredientssuch as corn and wheat; and 12% moisture.

Bowls were presented simultaneously and sides (left and right) werereversed daily. If one bowl was emptied prior to the end of the30-minute period, both bowls were removed. Food consumption and firstchoice preference were recorded each day for each dog. At the end of thefive days, all ten dogs were offered only the Inventive Product for tendays. At the end of the ten days, the second phase of the preferencetest was conducted in which the ten dogs were again presented the sametwo diets on an individual basis for five consecutive days according tothe same procedure that was used in the first phase of the preferencetest.

The results showed that at the completion of Phase 2 of the test, thedogs preferred Inventive Product over the Kibble, more specifically atleast 51% to 100% of the dogs preferred the Inventive Product over theKibble, most specifically at least 51%, 54%, 56%, 58%, 60%, 65%, 70%,75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% and 100% of the dogs preferred the InventiveProduct over the Kibble.

At the completion of Phase 2 of the test, Inventive Product was at least51% to 90% of the total food intake, more specifically the InventiveProduct was at least 53%, 55%, 57%, 59%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%,90%, 95% and 100% of the total food intake.

Further, at the completion of Phase 2 of the test there was at least a1% to 100% change in the number of dogs that preferred the InventiveProduct over the Kibble, more specifically there was at least a 1%, 5%,10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 47%, 49%, 50%, 52%, 55%, 60%,65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% and 100% change in the number of dogsthat preferred the Inventive Product over the Kibble.

Further, at the completion of Phase 2 of the test was at least a 1% to100% change in the amount of Inventive Product intake as a percent ofthe total food intake, more specifically there was at least a 1%, 5%,10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 27%, 29.9%, 30%, 32%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 47%, 49%, 50%,52%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% and 100% change in theamount of Inventive Product intake as a percent of the total foodintake.

The pet food of the present invention is formulated to provide the dailynutritional and caloric requirements of an animal. Average requireddaily caloric intakes for dogs are based on their body weight. Averagerequired daily nutrient intakes are generally based on caloric intake.The serving sizes of food generally vary according to a dog's weight ormay be targeted for specific breeds, specific sizes of animals or agesof the animals. FIG. 1 illustrates the average required daily caloricintake for a dog based on the weight of the animal where caloricrequirements is in Kcal and the dog weights are in pounds. The equationfor determining the values of the graph of FIG. 1 isKcal/day=110×(Bodyweight in kg)^(0.75).

These nutritional requirements are met with three basic products: mainmeal pet food, snacks and treats. Main meal pet foods are usually soldas complete and balanced foods. Complete and balanced foods mean thatwhen fed to an animal's caloric requirements for the animal's weight,the animal receives all of it's required daily nutritional and caloricrequirements. Snack foods and treats on the other hand, may not meetthese requirements for a number of reasons, such as missing one or moreof the required nutrients, not providing the correct level of all ofthese nutrients and/or not providing enough calories to meet theanimal's caloric requirements using the recommended serving size.

Main meal pet foods are generally either dry or wet products. Dry petfood products are typically bite sized, grain based extruded pieces(kibble) and are formulated to be complete and balanced. Dry productsgenerally have a low moisture content of about 9% and are expandedduring the manufacturing process, giving them a low density and a lighttexture. The density is typically around 0.80 g/mL. The composition andmanufacture of these products make them rather brittle and easy tofracture. Dry kibble pet food is usually fed to the dog by placing thedaily serving size into a bowl all at once or divided into separatefeeding times over the course of the day until the total daily servingsize is met. With dry kibble pet food there is no interaction betweenowner and animal and the animal is limited in the ways it can interactwith the food. The pet food product of the present invention allows forincreased interaction between the owner and the animal and the animaland the food. This results in increased enjoyment and well being for theanimal.

Wet pet food products have a very high moisture content, above 70%, andtherefore are sold in either cans or pouches that can withstand therequired sterilization processes. These products are generally availablein two forms, such as a loaf or chunks in gravy, which are alsoformulated to be complete and balanced. Loaf products have a homogenousmeat base which is semi-liquid and may contain solid pieces of meat orvegetables. All or a portion of the package is emptied into a bowl forthe animal to eat. The daily serving size can be given all at once ordivided into separate portions and given over the course of the dayuntil the total daily serving size is met. As with dry kibble, wet petfood provides no interaction between owner and animal and the animal islimited in the ways it can interact with the food. As discussed above,the pet food product of the present invention allows for increasedinteraction between the owner and the animal and the animal and thefood. This results in increased enjoyment and well being for the animal.

One of the distinctive features of the present invention is itscohesiveness. As the animal bites off separate pieces of the pet foodproduct for consumption, the pet food product remains predominantlyintact. This is distinct from dry kibble and wet pet food in which theaction of mastication brings about the destruction and/or deformation ofthe remaining piece of food. This cohesiveness results in a pet foodthat is not messy to feed as compared to other known pet foods, inaddition to providing eating enjoyment to an animal.

The inventive product is designed to be eaten in more natural way thentradition kibble sized and shaped pet foods. A dog's teeth areconfigured such that the incisors are placed at the front of a dog's jawand the longer canine teeth are placed on either side of the incisors.FIG. 2 is an illustration of a dog's skull 10 including the incisors 12,canines 14, premolars 16 and molars 18. As seen in FIG. 2, the height ofthe canines 14 is much higher than then the height of the premolars 16.Typical kibble shaped pet food pieces are generally small and designedto fit into the animal's mouth without having to be broken down intosmaller pieces. However, the shape of the inventive product allows thedog's canines 14 to be able to penetrate the inventive product, which inturn forces the dog to chew the product in order to consume it. It hasbeen found that dogs enjoy the chewing process such that they consumeall or most of the inventive product in one sitting, which adds to thebenefit of the eating enjoyment for the dog. This was substantiated in atwo part preference test.

It has been found that dogs enjoy the chewing process such that theyconsume all or most of the inventive product in one sitting, whichresults in the preference of dogs to the inventive pet food product. Thelength of the inventive product is also a benefit to a dog's eatingenjoyment as it allows the dog to be able to hold the inventive foodproduct with its paws or appendages while eating it. Typical kibble drypet food measures 1-3 cm in all dimensions. The dimensions of thepreferred product embodiment are discussed below. It is clear that acombination of elements including size, length, cross sectional area,shape, and texture are key attributes in improving the interactionbetween the owner and animal. These element of feeding are clearly notpresent in the feeding of kibble.

In a preferred embodiment, the pet food product of the present inventionis provided in different sizes for different sized dogs. For exampleextra small, small, medium and large sizes may be provided. The weightof the pet food product is in a range of about 20 to 400 grams perpiece, preferably 25 to 350 grams per piece and most preferably 30 to300 grams per piece. In a preferred embodiment, an extra small wouldweigh about 30 grams, a small size would weight about 70.00 grams, amedium size would weight about 140 grams and a large size would weighabout 235 grams.

An example of the dimensions are as follows; The length, which is thelongest dimension on the product, is greater than 0.75 cm, a preferredrange is 0.75 to 20 cm, a more preferred range is 2 to 18 cm, and a mostpreferred range is 6 to 16 cm. The width, which is a dimension parallelto base 28 in FIG. 3, is in a range of 0.5 to 10 cm, a preferred rangeis 0.75 to 8 cm, a more preferred range is 1.0 to 7 cm, and a mostpreferred range is 2.0 to 6 cm. The depth, which is the smallestdimension between sides 24 and 26 of FIG. 3, is in a range of 0.5 to 10cm, a preferred range is 0.75 to 8 cm, a more preferred range is 1.0 to7 cm, and a most preferred range is 2.0 to 6 cm. The cross sectionalareas range from 3.0 to 18.0 cm² in which the smallest product couldhave a cross sectional area of about 3.2 cm², the small to mediumproduct about 4.3 cm², the large medium product about 6.5 cm², and thelarge product about 12.9 cm². The preferred range of the cross sectionalarea is 0.75 to 25 cm², the more preferred range is 2 to 20 cm², and themost preferred range is 3.2 to 12.9 cm².

The design of the inventive pet food product also reduces and/oreliminates the risk of dogs choking while eating. Choking results fromlarge particles or pieces of pet food lodging in the trachea of the dog.The inner component can be configured to crumble easily when detachedfrom the outer component of the inventive pet food product by the act ofchewing. The dimension of the product is also designed such that theproduct size recommended for a particular size or type of dog can have across-sectional area less than that of the average esophagealcross-section of that particular sized or type of dog in order toprevent the pet food product from lodging in the esophagus if a crosssectional piece of the product is swallowed whole.

A distinguishing feature of the preferred embodiment is the amount oftime it takes a dog to eat the product, defined herein as “lastingtime”. Dogs typically consume kibble in one of two ways. They can eatthe kibble quickly with little or no chewing (5 minutes or less) or theycan graze on kibble throughout the day (60 minutes or more) Because ofthe unique design of the present invention, specifically its texture,size, and caloric density, dogs are forced to chew the entire product inorder to consume it. Further, the dogs enjoy the eating process suchthat they consume all or most of the inventive product in one sitting.As a result, the lasting time per piece of the present invention issignificantly different to that of kibble, and directly results inincreased new and different dog enjoyment perceptions with consumers.

Lasting time is measured by asking participants were asked how long ittakes their dog to consume the inventive product when compared to theirdog's normal food, i.e. kibble. Participants observing their dogsrecorded lasting times for all pet food products in the test. Lastingtime was recorded based on participants' perception as a response to thequestion “Approximately how long (please put in minutes) does it takeyour dog to consume the product?” in combination with “How long did ittake your dog to eat (the test product) compared to their regularfood?”. It was found that lasting time is directly related to animalsatisfaction. The average of the responses was taken as the lastingtime. It was found that lasting time is generally 2 to 60 minutes,preferably lasting time is 4.5 to 50 minutes, more preferably 5 to 40minutes, and most preferably 6 to 25 minutes.

The lasting time of the product is directly related to the texturalattributes of the product. The present invention also has specifictextural qualities that can be defined as hardness, brittleness andtoughness. The method of measuring texture is the same for both theinner and outer components.

Texture measurements were performed with a TA.HDi Texture Analyzer(Texture Technologies Corp., Scarsdale, N.Y.) equipped with a 500 kgload cell. A four inch cylindrical probe and triple point bending rigwere used and the tests were conducted at a room temperature of 25° C.Data was collected using the Texture Expert software (version 2.12) fromTexture Technologies Corp. Two different tests were run, a uniaxialpuncture test and a triple point bending test. These tests were selectedbecause they best resemble the biting and chewing of the test samples bydogs.

The triple point bend and puncture analysis parameters are as follows.Work (W) is defined as an estimate of work; and therefore shows thetoughness of the product. A tough product will have a higher bend workvalue than a less tough product. The area shows the “force” or load thatmust be applied to the product to cause it to break. The expressed“Area” units come from the multiplication of y-axis per x-axis as kg/mm.To convert “Area” to Work—W−(F/d) multiply by 0.1020408 m²/mm/s².

The Max Force (N) is defined as the maximum amount of force needed toovercome the product's hardness. Usually a hard product will beassociated with high ordinate (y-axis) values. The expressed “Force”unit derives from a direct association with mass weight in kg. Toconvert “Force” to “Max Force”—N—multiply by 9.81 m/s² (the accelerationof gravity).

Travel (mm) is represented as the point (distance) at which the peakforce is reached. Thus it emulates the resistance of the product as acombination between toughness and hardness, in addition to elasticity,attributed to a measurement of how far the probe has traveled to reachthe maximum force. Resistance is directly proportional to travel values.

Linear Distance (mm) is calculated by measuring the length of animaginary line pulled taunt joining all the trajectory points. It is adirect assessment of brittleness where a brittle product will producemore sharp peaks, resulting in a higher linear distance. A softerproduct can have the same base and height curve of a brittle product butless jagged peaks, hence reducing the linear distance value.

The values of hardness, brittleness and toughness were determined usinga triple point bending rig for testing whole product samples. A triplepoint bend rig, such as the TA.HDi, provided by the TextureTechnologies, was used to measure force/distance. The test rig isadjusted to a width of 10 cm. The product samples are tested as theyare, such as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, and no cutting is required.The samples tested were 13 cm long, 4.4 cm high, about 5.3 cm wide inthe widest section or third side 28 and about 0.5 cm wide in thenarrowest section which is where the first and second sides 24, 26 joinat the top of the product.

The sample 68 is centered on the test rig such that the knife 70 willcontact the narrowest point of the sample at a direction 72 of a 90°angle while the sample is laying with its third side 28 placed on a flatsurface as illustrated in FIG. 10.

The probe or knife 70 is run at a (1) pre test speed of 2.0 mm/s (speedof probe before contacting sampling); (2) a test speed of 1.0 mm/s(speed of probe while travelling within the sample); (3) a post testspeed of 2.0 mm/s (speed that the probe is withdrawn from the sample);and a distance of 30 mm (distance that probe travels within the sampleuntil it is withdrawn). This distance translates to 67-69% strain. Theforce in kg (y axis) is plotted against distance in mm (x axis) in whichthe starting force of 0 is 1 and the Max Force is 2 (FIG. 11). Thefollowing parameters were measured: the Max Force 2, which is themaximum force value of the curve, is a measurement of hardness; theLinear Distance (mm), is calculated by measuring the length of animaginary line pulled taunt joining all the trajectory points. It is adirect assessment of brittleness where a brittle product will producemore sharp peaks, resulting in a higher linear distance. For each ofthese parameters, the measurement was the average of the values of atleast 10 samples of the product tested.

Hardness is measured as Max Force in kg. As measured in the triple bendtest, the hardness or max force value of the inventive product has arange of 70 to 520 N, a preferred range of 75 to 320 N, and a mostpreferred range of 105 to 260 N. The hardness value of the outercomponent, as measured by the puncture and penetration test, has a rangeof 50 to 300 N, a preferred range of 55 to 1230 N and a most preferredrange of 90 to 130 N. The hardness value of the inner component, asmeasured by the puncture and penetration test, has a range of 500 to2760 N, a preferred range of 90 to 1550 N, and a most preferred range of100 to 170N.

The toughness of the outer and inner component was also measured. In thethree point bend tests, the toughness or work value of the inventiveproduct has a range of 0.5 to 5.5 W, a preferred range of 0.55 to 4.7 W,a more preferred range of 0.6 to 4.4 W, and a most preferred range of0.95 to 3.1 W. The toughness or work value of the outer component, asmeasured by the puncture and penetration test, has a range of 0.01 to0.5 W, a preferred range of 0.05 to 0.4 W, and a most preferred range of0.10 to 0.2 W. The toughness or work value of the inner component, asmeasured by the puncture test, has a range of 0.30 to 3.4 W, a preferredrange of 0.35 to 3.0 W, and a most preferred range of 0.45 to 1.0 W.

The brittleness or bend linear distance of the inventive product wasmeasured by the triple bend test. The brittleness value of the inventiveproduct has a range of 430 to 1160 mm, a preferred range of 460 to 815mm, and a most preferred range of 500 to 700 mm.

For the uniaxial puncture test, the test product 60 was cut into asample size in the shape of a cubic prism having a length 62 ofapproximately 2 cm, a depth 64 of approximately 0.5 cm and a width 66 ofapproximately 2 cm as illustrated in FIG. 9.

A puncture test was run measuring force over distance using a piece ofequipment such as the TA.HDi Texture Analyzer. The puncture andpenetration test provides information regarding the amount of forceneeded to overcome the product's hardness, the force or load that mustbe applied to the product to cause it to break, as well as thecrunchiness of the sample. The settings for the test should be 4 mmcylindrical TA-55 probe and Metal flat plate, TA-90A. The probe speedshould be 1) pre test speed of 2.0 mm/s; 2) test speed of 1.0 mm/s; 3)post test speed of 2.0 mm/s; and 4) run probe to 30% strain. The sampleis tested along the 0.5 cm dimension, which is lying flat on the testsurface.

The force in kg (y axis) is plotted against distance in mm (x axis) inwhich the starting force of 0 is 1 and the distance in mm of the firstmajor failure is 2 (FIG. 12). The parameters of fracture force orhardness, the gradient and the area between 1 and 2 (toughness) areused. The first peak force (2) is measured, which is the fracture forceor hardness. The second measurement is the area under the curve withrespect to the first fracture (area between 1 and 2), which is thetoughness. This area corresponds to the work necessary to induce thefirst major failure of the sample and expresses the ability of thematerial to absorb mechanical energy prior to failure. The hardnessmeasurement for the product is the average of at least 10 samples, andthe toughness measurement is the average of at least 10 samples of thetest product.

As discussed above, the pet food of the present invention is formulatedto provide the daily nutritional and caloric requirements of an animal.The average required daily caloric intakes for dogs are based on theirweight (FIG. 1). Average required daily nutrient intakes are generallybased on caloric intake. The serving sizes of food generally varyaccording to a dog's weight or may be targeted for specific breeds,specific sizes of animals or ages of the animals.

Each of the pieces of the inventive pet food is formulated to have aspecific caloric content which 1) will meet the animal's nutritionalrequirements within the product's recommended serving size, 2) isdesigned with a serving size that will provide a satisfying andsatiating meal for the animal and 3) is designed with a serving sizethat the animal can consume in a reasonable amount of time within a day.The inventive product is specifically designed to provide certain eatingtimes, i.e. be consumed in a certain amount of time, which effects anoverall “lasting time” score.

Each piece of the inventive pet food product provides a specific amountof calories per piece, caloric density per piece and Kcal per gram ineach piece. The amount of calories per piece of the inventive product isbetween 20 and 2500 kcal, preferably in the range of 40 to 1500 kcal,more preferable in the range of 60 to 1000 kcal, and most preferably inthe range of 80 to 800 kcal per piece. The caloric density is in therange of 1.8 to 11.1 kcal/cm³, preferably in the range of 2.5 to 8.0,more preferable in the range of 3 to 6, even more preferably in therange of 3.2 to 4.5, and most preferably in the range of 3.5 to 4.0kcal/cm³. The kcal per gram of each piece of the inventive pet foodproduct is 1.4-8.4 Kcal/g, preferably in the range of 1.8 to 7, morepreferably in the range of 2 to 6, even more preferably in the range of2 to 4, and most preferably in the range of 2.2-3.5 kcal/g.

In one embodiment of the present invention a two component pet foodproduct has a length of 15 cm, a diameter at its broadest point of 3.86cm and a cross sectional area of 6.45 sq. cm. This sized product canhave a hardness range of about 208-478 Max Force; a brittleness range ofabout 557-829 mm; a toughness range of about 2.9-4.6 Work; a range of 2to 3 calories per gram; and a caloric density range of 3 to 4 per unitvolume.

Another attribute of the present invention is its shelf stability. Aproduct has shelf stability when it is safe for consumption andmaintains an acceptable quality when stored at room temperature. Fourmajor agents contribute to the deterioration of foods: microbial,enzymatic, chemical and physical phenomena.

Microbial activity relates to food spoilage that results in thedeterioration of the aesthetic properties of the food, such as flavor,appearance, texture and odor. In shelf-stable products microbialproblems can be controlled by the formulation of the product, theprocess of manufacturing the product or a combination of the two.Reducing the water activity below 0.6 effectively curbs microbialgrowth. Other options for reducing water activity include using ahumectant, such as propylene glycol or glycerin. An ingredient like fatcan provide the perception of moistness.

Enzymatic activity can produce proteolysis and oxidation which can occurat temperatures slightly elevated from ambient room temperature.Chemical reactions also create a number of results affecting the qualityof shelf-stable products. One major problem is oxidation and its manyundesirable consequences: off flavors, nutrient loss, changes inappearance, etc.

When a food product is exposed to oxygen in the air, oxidative chemicalreactions often occur. Oxygen attacks the structure of a molecule andthe result is generally not positive: oxidative rancidity of lipids,destruction of oxygen-sensitive vitamins, such as ascorbic acid, andcolor changes are a few of the outcomes. Oxidative rancidity of lipidsoccurs when oxygen reacts with an unsaturated bond in the fat to form afree radical. This initiates a chain reaction, resulting in theformation of aldehydes, ketones, fatty acids and alcohols that producethe off-flavors and odors that characterize fat rancidity. Antioxidantsinterfere with this reaction by donating a hydrogen to the fat orperoxide free radical creating a stable compound that no longercontinues the reaction.

The level of oxidation is determined by typical methods such as activeoxygen bomb determinations and the physical measurement of the byproducts of the chemical degradation cycle such as peroxides.Measurements are made as to whether the product is acceptable or not.Peroxide values of less than 20 are preferred as described in Bailey'sIndustrial Oil and Fat Products, Volume 1, Fourth Edition. A method fordetermining the peroxide value can be found in the AOCS Official MethodCd 8B-90 (1997), titled Peroxide Value Acetic Acid-Isooctane Method.

The oxygen bomb method is utilized to assess oxidative stability for drypet food ingredients and diets. The samples are sealed in a stainlesspressure vessel, which is charged with 50-60 psi oxygen. The vessel isimmersed in an oil bath at 100° C. for up to 40 hours. Oxygen,absorption is monitored as a direct indication of the oxidation rate.This test is used to approximate shelf life and to determine how fastthe sample is oxidizing. The interpretation of the results is productdependent. The value recorded is similar to the Oil Stability Index(OSI) which is an AOCS Official Method Cd 12b-92 (1997). The time inhours when the slope changes gives a number that relates to theapproximate shelf life. Each hour is equal to 1 month. A value less than12 should have 12-month shelf life.

Preferably, the oxygen bomb of the inventive product is 0 to 20 hrs andthe peroxide value is 0 to 40 meq/Kg.

One component of the inventive pet food product can optionally be formedfrom dry and liquid ingredients. The dry ingredients can include flourssuch as corn, wheat, rice, barley, oat, legumes etc., individual mealssuch as bone, chicken, beef, or poultry or combinations thereof,vitamins, minerals, sugars, hydrocolloids and colorant. The liquidingredients can include water, fats, oils, glycerol, antioxidants,emulsifiers, liquid sugar, etc. The combination of ingredients that areused for this component produce typically form a component that has adry and granular texture.

A second component can optionally be formed from a meat mixture ofdifferent meats such as chicken, beef, pork, lamb or combinationsthereof and dry ingredients including flours and/or starches such aswheat, barley, corn, rice, and oats, corn, wheat, rice, potato, andtapioca, gums, colors, and vitamins and minerals.

Starch, protein, fiber and fat are important primarily for nutritionalpurposes. Levels and types of starch, protein, fiber and fat also effecttexture, flavor, caloric density, calories pre gram and other qualitiesof the inventive pet food product.

Carbohydrates are certain organic compounds that include sugars,starches and celluloses. Carbohydrates are important in providing theproper nutrient/caloric content, structure and texture to the productThe starch source is also important in this embodiment for appearance.The preferred sources in the present invention are rice and/or corn, andcorn gluten.

The protein source can be either animal or vegetable or a combination ofboth. Preferably the product contains both an animal and a vegetableprotein. The preferred sources in this embodiment are a vegetable sourcesuch as corn gluten and an animal source such as chicken meal. Proteinprovides nutrition, structure and texture to the inventive pet food.

The type and source of fiber is important in the present invention inorder to prevent crumbliness. The source can be from plant or cereal.The preferred source is cellulose having a long fiber length.

The fat source is important for product texture and for cleanliness offeel for the consumer. The preferred sources are oils such as corn.

Humectants are important to lower the water activity for microbiologicalstability. The preferred source is glycerin and the preferred range is0% to 10%, the most preferred range being 1-3%.

Other ingredients in the inventive pet food include antioxidants, eg BHAand BHT, that retard the oxidation process that can result in spoiledproduct. Mold inhibitors such as Potassium Sorbate, that prevent orretard the growth of yeasts and moulds that result in product spoilage,can be included. Ingredients that control water activity can beincluded. An example of these ingredients are glycerine and propyleneglycol that also help in the process of managing the spoilage organismssuch as yeasts and moulds. Texture modifiers, such as cellulose can beadded in which altering the addition levels can affect the texturalcharacteristics of the product. Vitamin preblends, that manage thecorrect levels of vitamins and minerals that are required to provide abalanced daily diet for the dog can also be added.

The present invention has a moisture range of 9 to 32%, a preferredmoisture range of 12 to 28%, a more preferred range of 14 to 24% and amost preferred range of 16 to 22% moisture. The water activity (Aw) ofthe present invention is less than 0.9, preferably 0.5 to 0.9, morepreferably 0.6 to 0.85 and most preferably 0.65 to 0.80.

The protein content of the present invention is greater than 18 wt %,preferably 18 to 65 wt %, more preferably 18 to 35 wt % and mostpreferably 18 to 25 wt %.

The carbohydrate content is 30 to 70 wt %, preferably 35 to 50 wt % andmost preferably 40 to 45 wt %.

The fat content of the pet food of the present invention is greater than3 wt %, preferably 3 to 20 wt %, more preferably 3 to 10 wt % and mostpreferably 3.5 to 8 wt %.

The fiber content is 0 to 10 wt %, preferably 0.5 to 9 wt %, morepreferably 1.0 to 8 wt %, and most preferably 3.0 to 8.0 wt %.

As with any intermediate moisture products, humectants are used to lowerthe water activity below levels where molds, yeast and bacteria cangrow. The methods and processes of mixing and blending these ingredientsis well known to one skilled in the art of food processing.

Additionally, both components can be made from the dry and liquidingredients that form a dry and granular component or both componentscan be made from the meat mixture ingredients.

The pet food product of the present invention can be formed as a singlecomponent or at least a two component product. The at least twocomponents can differ in caloric density, texture, composition, color,and ratio of an inner component to an outer component. For example, theinner and outer components can both have the same caloric density or theinner and outer components can have different caloric densities.Additionally, the components can be the same or different colors. Colorcan also be utilized to define two components. In one preferredembodiment one of the at least two components has one of a caloricdensity, hardness, brittleness, toughness, elasticity, density, caloriesper gram that is at least 2% greater than another of the at least twocomponents. More preferably it is at least 2% greater, even morepreferably 6% greater, even more preferably 10% greater, even morepreferably 15% greater and most preferably 20% greater.

One embodiment of the present invention is a product formed as twocomponents in which one component 20 surrounds the other component 22(FIGS. 3 and 4). Preferably, this embodiment has the cross sectionalshape of a distorted triangle in which a first side 24 and a second side26 are concave and the third side 28 convex (FIG. 3). In one embodiment,the two components can be distinguished by color in which the innercomponent is a darker color than the outer component.

Another embodiment can be in the form of a single component 30 in shapesresembling meat pieces such as pork chops or slices of beef (FIG. 5). Anexample of the ingredients for a single component pet food product arelisted in Table 5. This embodiment can also be colored to give theimpression of two textures. The color and surface of this embodiment issuch that is simulates the color and texture of a slab of meat. This canbe accomplished by varying the color on the surface, the smoothness orthe texture of the surface, and/or the texture of the interior of theinventive pet food product. As a result, the inventive product can be atleast one color or several colors and can be at least one texture orseveral textures. A single texture embodiment can be a single colorproduct where the intensity of the color varies throughout the product.Alternatively, the product could include a rough or textured outersurface. An example of a multi textured product would include ameat-like component as described previously and a second component thatsimulates a bone or a fat component of a slab of meat.

Another embodiment of the inventive product can be in shape resembling a“chicken drumstick” wherein a meaty material is wrapped around abone-like inner component. In this embodiment the two texture pet foodcan be in the shape of a either a chicken or turkey drumstick 32, havingan inner bone-like component 34 and an outer meaty component 36 (FIGS. 6and 7). Preferably, the outer meaty component 36 is wrapped around theinner bone-like component 36 either completely or partially. The colorof the outer component can be darker in hue than the inner component.

The inner component 34 is generally formed from dry and liquidingredients. The dry ingredients can include flours such as corn, wheat,rice, barley, oat, legumes etc., individual meals such as bone, chicken,beef, or poultry or combinations thereof, vitamins, minerals, sugars,hydrocolloids and colorant. The liquid ingredients can include water,fats, oils, glycerol, antioxidants, emulsifiers, liquid sugar, etc. Thecombination of ingredients that are used for the inner bone-likecomponent produce a component that has a dry, crumbly and granulartexture.

The outer component 36 is generally formed from a meat mixture ofdifferent meats such as chicken, beef, pork, lamb or combinationsthereof and dry ingredients including flours and/or starches such aswheat, barley, corn, rice, and oats, corn, wheat, rice, potato, andtapioca, gums, colors, and vitamins and minerals. Since the outercomponent is meaty and formed from predominantly, but not limited tomeat based ingredients, the texture of the outer meaty component can befibrous and linear.

In a preferred embodiment, the inner bone-like component is a semi-moistfood product and as such, any semi-moist pet food formulation known toone of skill in the art can be used. For example, the subject innerbone-like component may have a moisture content in the range of about12% to about 20%. The inner bone-like component also includes, on a drymatter basis, at least about 17% by weight of protein, about 2% to about10% by weight of fat and at least about 60% by weight carbohydrate. Itis also preferable that the inner bone-like component has a wateractivity, A_(w), of at least about 0.8 or greater, and more preferably,in the range of about 0.8 to about 0.83.

In a preferred embodiment, the outer meaty component is a semi-moistfood product and as such, any semi-moist pet food formulation known toone of skill in the art can be used. For example, the subject outermeaty component may have a moisture content in the range of about 10% toabout 30%. The outer component also includes on a dry matter basis,about 10% to about 20% by weight of protein, about 2% to about 10% byweight of fat and about 40% to about 78% by weight carbohydrate. It isalso preferable that the outer meaty component has a water activity,A_(w), of at least about 0.8 or greater, and more preferably, in therange of about 0.9 to about 1.0.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of an extrusion process that can beused to manufacture the present invention. In the preferred embodiment,this process involves two extruders (twin or single). One extruderproduces the inner component and the second extruder produces the outercomponent. Flow streams coming from each extruder are converged into acommon die with a specially designed opening. In one embodiment, theouter component can extruded so as to surround the center extruded innercomponent. The product comes out of the die, is cut and conveyed tofurther processing including, but not limited to, baking, retorting orirradiating. The process steps are described with reference to anautomated assembly line in a food processing facility. However, itshould be understood that an automated assembly line is not necessary topractice the invention described herein, and that all or a subset of thesteps may be performed in a non-automated manner.

In the forming of a two component product, processing generally beginswith placing the selected raw materials 38 through a blending, grindingand batching process 40. In this process 40 the raw materials aretypically placed in a hopper. A pump pumps the contents of the hopperinto a mixer where a variety of other ingredients may also beintroduced. For example, it may be desirable to mix the startingingredient with one or more of a coloring agent, flavoring agents, andone or more vitamins. The ingredients are combined in the mixer, whichmay include grinding of some of the raw materials, for a time periodsufficient to adequately distribute all ingredients throughout theresultant mixture. The blending, grinding and batching process 40 mayinclude at least one and preferably two separate blending, grinding andbatching processes 40, depending upon the ingredients of the inner andouter components. For example, if the ingredients of the inner and outercomponents are different, two separate blending, grinding and batchingprocesses will be necessary.

After the raw materials have been mixed and blended, they are separatedinto two batches, batch one 42 and batch two 44, for processing throughtwo extruders 46, 48 or one twin extruder. The material moves throughthe extruder(s) 46, 48, through a die 50 that preferably provides aspecific texture on the outside surface of the present invention andthrough a forming head 52 that gives the inventive pet food product aspecific shape. After exiting the forming head 52, the product may beprocessed through a cooling tunnel 54 before packaging. The product isthen individually packaged 56 and thereafter is processed through cartonand case packaging 58 as is known to one skilled in the art.

Alternatively, the inventive pet food product could include an expandedouter and/or inner component. The expanded component would have theappearance of an aerated material. The expansion of the outer or innercomponent can be achieved by a number of means known by those skilled inthe art. The expanding means could include for example, increasingpressure, increasing temperature and increasing the working of thematerial in the extruder barrel by means of the addition of steam and/ortemperature and/or shear and/or mechanical energy, etc. A combination ofany or all of these influences will result in certain of the ingredientsin the pet food product, such as water, glycerine and propylene glycol,to flash when the extrudate exits the extruder. The exiting of thematerial from conditions of elevated pressure and temperature to ambientconditions, results in flashing, which causes the extrudate to expand.This expansion could be increased for example, by passing the extrudatethrough an expansion chamber, operated under vacuum, after the extrudateleaves the extruder. The expanded component would reduce the density ofthe inventive pet food product and consequently the caloric content ofthe pet food product would also be reduced.

A second means for achieving the appearance of an aerated material couldinclude the use of a single extruder for the two component product. Inthe single extruder, the flow of the extrudate can be split near the endof the barrel and color can be added to one side of the split extrudatebefore the two flows of extrudate are recombined prior to exiting theextruder.

EXAMPLES

The following examples are included to demonstrate preferred embodimentsof the invention. It should be appreciated by those of skill in the artthat the techniques disclosed in the examples which follow representtechniques discovered by the inventor to function well in the practiceof the invention, and thus can be considered to constitute preferredmodes for its practice. However, those of skill in the art should, inlight of the present disclosure, appreciate that many changes can bemade in the specific embodiments which are disclosed and still obtain alike or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

Example 1

One embodiment of the present invention is a two component pet foodproduct having a longitudinal shape and a cross sectional shape in theform of a modified triangle (FIGS. 3 and 4). The two component pet foodproduct has outer and inner components 20, 22. In a preferredembodiment, the inner component 22 can have the perception of ameaty-like center formed from real or artificial ingredients. Anexemplary example of a recipe of ingredients is listed in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Ingredients for the inner % of % of component component totalChix By-Product Meal 25.95 15.57 (BHA/BHT) Rice Brewers 43.60 26.16 CornGluten Meal 6.03 3.62 Whole Corn 8.62 5.17 Potassium Sorbate 0.21 0.13Petox Plus 0.06 0.04 Vitamin Preblend 1.72 1.03 Glycerine 4.31 2.59 OilCorn 2.59 1.55 Water 6.90 4.14 Total 100.00 60.00 Ingredients for theouter component % % Rice Flour 56.13 22.45 Wheat Gluten 9.59 3.84Cellulose 1.92 0.77 Petox Plus 0.07 0.03 Water 11.51 4.60 Heat TreatedFlour 6.04 2.42 Sodium Caseinate 1.38 0.55 Sugar 7.10 2.84 Poultry LiverDigest Powder 0.17 0.07 Potassium Sorbate 0.34 0.14 Calcium Carbonate1.15 0.46 Salt, Iodized 0.68 0.27 Sodium tripolyphosphate 1.94 0.77Potassium Chloride 0.96 0.39 Choline Chloride 0.20 0.08 Vitamin Preblend0.84 0.34 Total 100.00 40.00

Table 2 illustrates other qualities of the two component pet foodproduct of Example 1.

TABLE 2 Qualities Small Product Medium Product Large Product Hardness(N) Max Force¹  99.6-178.2 208.4-478.7 287.4-367.8 Puncture andPenetration: outer component  35.6-128.7 148.4-277.3  67.2-141.0 innercomponent  51.0-205.6  71.4-759.8 203.1-279.0 Brittleness (mm) LinearDistance 465.1-578.0 557.2-829.6 651.8-920.4 Toughness (W) Work¹0.13-2.65 2.99-4.69 2.94-5.34 Puncture and Penetration: outer component0.01-0.12 0.06-0.47 0.08-0.28 inner component 0.36-0.85 0.30-3.321.09-1.93 Calories per gram 2.80 2.80 2.80 Caloric Density 3.70 3.703.70 per unit volume (kcal/cm³⁾ Caloric Content 221.20  392.00  658.00 of a piece ¹Measured by Three Point Bend Test

Table 3 illustrates the results of the Two Phase Preference Test for theinventive two component pet food product aving a weight of about 130grams.

Phase 1 Phase 2 Change during study No. of dogs % Consumed No. of dogs %Consumed % Consumed preferring of total preferring of total No. of oftotal Product this product intake this product intake Dogs intake Kibble5 70.9 3 41 −2 −29.9 (Control) Inventive 2 29.1 6 59 +4 +29.9 Product(Test)

Table 4 illustrates further attributes of the two component pet food ofExample 1.

TABLE 4 BI average Question - How much do you agree score and Attributewith the following statements? (range) Uniqueness Is a revolutionary wayto serve 4.4 your dog meals. (4.2 to 4.7) Mess Is not messy. 4.3 (4.2 to4.5) Well-being Provides a fun and enjoyable 4.2 experience for yourdog. (4.0 to 4.7) Is a food that will improve your 3.9 dog's well-being.(3.8 to 4.1) Total Attribute score 4.05 Occupation Keeps your dogoccupied for a 4.2 longer time. (4.0 to 4.3) Convenience Is appropriatefor everyday use 4.1 (3.9 to 4.5) Makes feeding the right amount 4.1easy (3.8 to 4.4) Total attribute score: 4.15 Chewing Satisfies yourdog's need for 4.3 Satisfaction chewing. (4.1 to 4.7) Texture Has atexture your dog would 4.1 like. (3.9 to 4.7)

Another example of a recipe of ingredients for a two component pet foodproduct of the present invention is shown in Table. 5.

TABLE 5 Ingredients for the outer % of % of component component totalPoultry Meal 37.81 15.13 Rice Flour 32.11 12.85 Water 6.97 2.79Cellulose 4.25 1.70 Glycerine 3.69 1.47 Sugar 3.30 1.32 Oil Corn 2.871.15 Poultry Liver Digest Powder 2.18 0.87 Sodium Caseinate 2.18 0.87Propylene Glycol 1.72 0.69 Red Blood Cells, Dried 1.38 0.55 DicalciumPhosphate 0.83 0.33 Salt, Iodized 0.41 0.17 Potassium Sorbate 0.19 0.07Zinc Oxide 0.06 0.02 Anti-Caking Agent 0.05 0.02 100.00 40.00Ingredients for the inner component % % Rice Flour 44.88 26.93 Sugar11.26 6.76 Water 11.23 6.74 Heat Treated Flour 9.58 5.75 Glycerine 4.772.86 Cellulose 4.19 2.52 Sodium tripolyphosphate 3.07 1.84 SodiumCaseinate 2.19 1.31 Propylene Glycol 1.94 1.17 Calcium Carbonate 1.821.09 Potassium Chloride 1.53 0.92 Vitamin Preblend 1.34 0.80 Salt,Iodized 1.08 0.65 Potassium Sorbate 0.54 0.32 Choline Chloride 0.31 0.19Poultry Liver Digest Powder 0.28 0.17 Total 100.00 60.00

Example 2

Another embodiment of the pet food of the present invention can be a onecomponent product 30 in the shape of a boneless pork chop having alength in the range of 2.5 to 17.5 cm, a width in the range of 2.5 to17.5 cm and a depth in the range of 0.42 to 5.0 cm (FIG. 5). The sidesurfaces 31 of the this embodiment can have ridges that give theappearance of meat and smooth edges surfaces 33. In a preferredembodiment, the moisture content can be 39.79 wt %, the protein content11.57 wt %, the fat content 1.68 wt % and ash content 3.76 wt % and thefiber content 2.37 wt %. Table 5 lists the ingredients that can beutilized to form this embodiment.

TABLE 6 Ingredients % Wheat Whole Grain 50.51 Water moisture balance34.00 Tallow Beef 4.54 Gluten 4.50 Chicken Byproduct Meal 3.00 VitaminPremix - 1.85 Pet Ox Plus Liquid 1.00 Salt, Non-Iodized 0.50 PotassiumSorbate Liquid 0.10

Although the present invention and its advantages have been described indetail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions andalterations can be made herein without departing from the invention asdefined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the presentapplication is not intended to be limited to the particular embodimentsof the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means,methods and steps described in the specification. As one will readilyappreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture,compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing orlater to be developed that perform substantially the same function orachieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodimentsdescribed herein may be utilized. Accordingly, the appended claims areintended to include within their scope such processes, machines,manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

1. A pet food product comprising: N pieces wherein N pieces provide thecomplete daily nutritional requirements of an animal, and N equals 1 toless than 10 pieces.
 2. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein Npieces provide the complete and balanced daily nutritional requirementsof an animal.
 3. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein each of the Npieces has an inner component having a hardness value in the range of 50to 2760 Max Force and an outer component having a hardness value in therange of 50 to 300 Max Force.
 4. The pet food product of claim 1,wherein each of the N pieces has a brittleness value in the range of 430to 1160 mm, a toughness value in the range of 0.5 to 5.5 Work and ahardness value in the range of 70 to 520 Max Force.
 5. The pet foodproduct of claim 1, wherein each of the N pieces has about 1.4 to 8.4Kcalories per gram, a caloric density of about 1.8 to 11.1 Kcal/cm³ anda caloric content between 20 to 2500 calories per piece.
 6. The pet foodproduct of claim 1, wherein each piece is comprised of two components,an outer component and an inner component.
 7. The pet food product ofclaim 6, wherein the inner and outer component have a different qualityselected from the group consisting of hardness, brittleness, toughness,density, caloric density, calories per gram and color.
 8. The pet foodof claim 6, wherein the inner component comprises 10 to 90% of theproduct.
 9. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the product has aprotein content in the range of 18 to 65 wt %, a carbohydrate content inthe range of 30 to 70 wt %, a fat content in the range of 3 to 20 wt %and a fiber content in the range of 0 to 10 wt %.
 10. The pet foodproduct of claim 1, wherein the product has a water activity of lessthan 0.9.
 11. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the product is asingle component.
 12. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the petfood product is configured such that the animal can hold the productwith its appendages while eating the product.
 13. The pet food productof claim 1, wherein the product has a longitudinal shape and a crosssectional shape in the form of a modified triangle having a lengthgreater than 0.75 cm and a cross sectional area in the range of 3.0 to18.0 cm².
 14. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the product has aweight in the range of 20 to 400 grams.
 15. The pet food product ofclaim 1, wherein each piece is cohesive.
 16. The pet food product ofclaim 1, wherein N is 1, 2 or
 3. 17. The pet food product of claim 1,wherein an N piece has a consumption time of five to sixty minutes. 18.A pet food product comprising an inner component having a hardness valuein the range of 50 to 2760 Max Force, an outer component having ahardness value in the range of 50 to 300 Max Force and a caloric densityof about 1.8 to 11.1 Kcal/m³, wherein the pet food product is anutritionally complete meal.
 19. The pet food product of claim 18,wherein the product has a brittleness in the range of 430 to 1160 mm, atoughness in the range of 0.5 to 5.5 Work and a density in the range of0.6 to 1.7 g/cm³.
 20. A method of feeding an animal comprising the stepof feeding an animal N pieces of a pet food product wherein N equals 1to 15 in which N pieces provide the complete daily nutritionalrequirements of the animal.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein N isdependent upon the weight of the animal.
 22. The method of claim 20,wherein the pet food product is configured such that the animal can holdthe product with its appendages while eating the product.
 23. A pet foodproduct comprising a nutritional complete meal having a ‘well-being’score of at least 3.2.
 24. The pet food product of claim 23, wherein thecomplete meal has an ‘occupation’ and/or ‘chewing satisfaction’ score ofat least 3.3, a ‘convenience’ and/or ‘messiness’ score of at least 3.4and a ‘texture’ score of at least
 3. 25. A method of feeding an animalcomprising the step of feeding an animal a pet food product comprising anutritionally complete meal having a ‘well-being’ score of at least 3.2,wherein the pet food product has a length greater than 0.75 cm and across sectional area in the range of 3.0 to 13.0 cm².
 26. A pet foodproduct manufactured by the method of: a. blending and batching selectedingredients; b. processing the ingredients through at least oneextruder; c. moving the extrudate through a die head; wherein saidproduct comprises N pieces wherein N pieces provide the complete dailynutritional requirements of an animal, and N equals 1 to 15 pieces. 27.A method of feeding an animal comprising the step of feeding a preferredpet food product to the animal, wherein the pet food product is anutritionally complete meal and is configured such that the animal canhold the product with its appendages while eating the product.
 28. Themethod of claim 27, wherein the pet food product is preferred by 60% ofdogs over a standard dry kibble pet food.
 29. The method of claim 27,wherein the pet food product comprises a nutritionally complete mealhaving a ‘well-being’ score of at least 3.2.
 30. The method of claim of27, wherein the pet food product comprises N pieces wherein N piecesprovide the complete daily nutritional requirements of an animal, and Nequals 1 to 15 pieces.